Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, after a distinguished 40-year career with the U.S. Postal Service and its predecessor the Post Office Department, my good friend Robert J. Opinsky is retiring. Bob traveled to Alaska in 1956 for a summer vacation. By the time the vacation was over, Bob was ready to become a full-time Alaskan. He began working with the Post Office Department in Anchorage that year in 1956. By 1970, having served in almost every capacity at the Post Office, he was named Anchorage Postmaster. When the Anchorage Division was created in 1986, Bob became Division Manager. He was the top Postal Service official in our state, responsible for the delivery and retail operations of all 209 post offices in Alaska. There have been tremendous challenges during Bob's career, and he's met them with his characteristic quiet efficiency. One example is how he managed to keep the mail flowing after Alaska's 1964 earthquake, which I remind the Senate measured 9.2 on the Richter scale. Bob was foreman of delivery and collection at that time. He worked around the clock and kept the mail moving, even though much of what we call southcentral Alaska was brought to its knees by the disaster. As our population increased after North Slope oil was discovered and production began, Bob led a team which built and updated more than 50 post offices in a hurry to keep up with the growing number of Alaskans. In his quiet manner, Bob made sure the task was accomplished quickly and efficiently. Bob has also ensured that distinguished postal officials learn about Alaska. Hosting several Postmasters General, the entire Postal Service Board of Governors and members of the Postal Rate Commission on their visits to Alaska, Bob has given them a firsthand view of the beauty of our State, and also an awareness of our unique problems. I have traveled with Bob to postal functions all over our State: post office dedications, stamp ceremonies, or town meetings to discuss new facilities. Everywhere we have gone together, it has been obvious how well-liked and respected Bob Opinsky is. He is an Alaskan's Alaskan, with a real can-do spirit. While working his way up the ladder at the Post Office, Bob put himself through college. He worked hard to become the best manager in the Postal Service, and he has succeeded. Many awards have come his way over four decades, but perhaps the recognition he most treasures is the Postmaster General Award for Executive Achievement, presented to him in 1991 by Postmaster General Tony Frank. Bob is married to a lifelong Alaskan, the former Edith Jordet--Edie to many of our friends. They have raised three great children, William, John, and Celine. Bob's Opinsky's kindness is legendary. His knowledge of the Postal Service is absolutely incredible. His gentleness has earned him the special respect of coworkers, neighbors, and friends. His unassuming demeanor masks a true competitor--a man who works to make sure that he and his people are at the top. Retirement may mean that Bob's golf game may get a little better, and that he and Edie may have a chance to seek some sunshine during the winter months. Best of all for me, Mr. President, Bob is my friend. Retirement won't change that. On behalf of all Alaskans, whose lives have been enriched through the great postal services Bob has ensured for them through the years, I commend Bob Opinsky for a job well done, and wish him well as he explores new horizons. I thank the Chair and yield back any time I might have.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Thank you, Mr. President pro tempore. I have a message here from the majority leader. For the information of all Senators, this morning, following remarks that I will make, the Senate will resume consideration of the reconciliation bill. At approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning the Senate will proceed to a series of back-to-back rollcall votes on or in relation to a number of amendments which were offered last evening, alternating between each side of the aisle and ending with the final passage of the Balanced Budget Act. Also, by consent, there will be 2 minutes of debate equally divided on each amendment prior to each vote. Therefore, Senators can expect a lengthy series of back-to-back rollcall votes as the Senate disposes of all amendments in order to the budget reconciliation bill. Following final passage, the Senate is expected to proceed to consideration of S. 949, the Tax Fairness Act. As previously announced, all Members may expect busy sessions of the Senate the next couple of days as the Senate works to complete action on the budget reconciliation process prior to the Fourth of July recess.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I move to table the motion. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, Senator Dominici raised a budget point of order that the Reed amendment violated the Budget Act. This Reed substitute proposes to strike the Medicare age increase, means testing, copayment and adds balanced billing provisions and eliminates the medical savings accounts. The vote will occur on that point of order, is that correct?

Mr. STEVENS. Is there 1 minute on the other side?

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Mr. GRASSLEY addressed the Chair.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I am happy to have him yield time.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Minnesota.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of my time.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield back our remaining time.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield to the Senator from Minnesota.

Mr. STEVENS. I am happy to yield to the Democratic leader such time as he desires to use.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I understand we are waiting for the distinguished Democratic leader. Other than that, I had hoped we could get the vote started sooner. There are people that wanted to make connections and leave. Pending that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEVENS. How much time is remaining?

Mr. STEVENS. Yes, that is the case. And it is my hope that the Department of Commerce will assent to the Senator's wishes in this matter to have this report fully considered.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to ask for the yeas and nays at this time.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I want to give a little history of what we are dealing with in this 1997 supplemental appropriations bill. In February of this year, we received a request for $2.1 billion from the President to deal with the funding that had been advanced in the Bosnia peacekeeping efforts overseas in a way that would repay the funds to the various accounts in the Department of Defense from which those moneys were taken. That was $2.1 billion, as I said. That February budget request also contained mandatory veterans compensation and pensions of $800 million and other requests, mainly a WIC request, women, infants, and children request of $.1 billion. It was $100 million. The total of the budget request in February was $3 billion. There was no disaster attached to that request. We received a formal request on March 19 for $2 billion related to the disasters. Again, on April 23, we received a request of $300 million. And on June 9, we received a major request of $2.4 billion. Again, Mr. President, that was June 9. Our total formal budget request that is covered by this bill is $7.7 billion. Some of those amounts we had anticipated in the bill that was presented to the Senate previously, but the formal budget request was received June 9 for more than 25 percent of this bill. I have seen and heard people on the television telling us how we should be getting on with our work. As a matter of fact, I think in terms of supplementals, for us to handle supplemental requests from March 19, April 23, and June 9 by today, which is June 12, I think is not tardy. We have had informal OMB reestimates of $400 million since those others were received. We had an informal increase for mandatory veterans compensation and pensions reported to us on June 3, another $200 million. The total Presidential request before the Senate is $8.2 billion. This bill is $8.9 billion. The $700 million comes about by the community development block grant, the CDBG moneys, for the disaster of $300 million. We have an SSI provision in this bill, supplemental amount for legal aliens of $200 million. There is an additional $700 million for the Federal Highway Administration, and other minor adjustments made by congressional amendments amount to $200 million. In other words, the total congressional impact on this bill is $700 million. The bill, for the first time in history, is totally offset. This report offsets in the Defense Department $1.9 billion. It offsets, in domestic offsets, $6.1 billion. There is an additional amount of mandatory spending, mainly veterans compensation and pensions, that is covered by the bill and amounts to $900 million. It does not score under the Budget Act. Those are moneys that were already covered under entitlement provisions. Mr. President, I made the statement before and I asked unanimous consent that the agreement that applies to this bill is that the statement of the managers that accompanied the conference report for H.R. 1469 would be the legislative history for this bill that is going to be presented to the Senate. The reason for that is that I did not want it to be just a statement of one person, myself, to make that legislative history. It is the statement of the Senate now on a unanimous-consent basis that the provisions of the managers' report that accompanied the former conference report, to the extent those provisions are in the bill, are the legislative history for this bill. There are three items that have been deleted from the bill: the continuing resolution language, the census language and the language that pertained to Revised Statute 2477, the right-of-way provision. I regret deeply being put in the position where that has to be withdrawn. We do, however, have a commitment from the President of the United States that within 180 days, there will be presented to the Congress a bill proposing a legislative solution to the problems that have beset the West since the announcement of the policy by the Secretary of Interior in January of the change in the historic concept that these rights-of-way were to be determined by State law and the statement of policy from the Department of Interior that says they have to be rights-of-way developed by vehicular traffic. Both of the changes are very oppressive, as far as my State is concerned, and we look forward to receiving the legislation that the President has committed his administration to submit to us on that subject, and I hope the Congress will act on that during this session of Congress. But, Mr. President, it is important that everybody understand that other than the three provisions that have been deleted from the bill, the managers' report that accompanied the conference report is the legislative history for this bill. There were conditions and terms set forth in that managers' report that we expect the administration to comply with. They are now listed as being the formal statement of this Senate as a whole on how the conference report is to be interpreted. I think that is only fair. That is what we intended in the event the conference report had been signed by the President. This is the same bill except for those three provisions. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the fiscal year 1997 supplemental appropriations requests and congressional action.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield such time as the Senator from Texas desires.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I do seek to add that to the unanimous consent, that the managers' report--there will be no report accompanying this bill. The statement of managers on the report on H.R. 1469 I wish to be included in this unanimous-consent request as being the legislative history for this bill.

Mr. STEVENS. I want to make sure there is an agreement that the conference report that accompanied the bill, the managers' report accompanying the conference report is agreed to without any reservation as being the legislative history for the bill that will be covered by this unanimous-consent agreement. Is that understood?

Mr. STEVENS. I wanted to make certain, Mr. President, there was an agreement that----

Mr. STEVENS. Reserving the right to object, has it been agreed to?

Mr. STEVENS. I thank both leaders.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I yield to the Senator.